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Showing posts from February, 2019

Gold Slips in February; U.S. Mint Bullion Sales Up From One Year Ago

Precious metals ended divided Thursday and in February with gold and silver lower and platinum and palladium higher. Gold's monthly loss was its first since September. Gold for April delivery... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

What monetary system would you create?

I recently returned from attending the Anarchopulco 2019 conference in Acapulco, Mexico. One of the sessions discussed the wide range of options available to a newly established homestead positioned in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Thailand far enough offshore that it is beyond the jurisdiction of any government. The company that manufactured this home, which has a planned life of more than a century, hopes to soon have a community of at least 20 such autonomous residences in this neighborhood. As part of the program, the speakers divided attendees up into small groups to consider a series of subjects. One of the questions was what kind of monetary system would make sense for such a community outside the control of any government. The most common suggestions on this topic were either a cryptocurrency, gold and silver, or some kind of barter system. I don’t recall that there were any suggestions to use an existing fiat (paper) currency issued by any government. Among the most de

U.S. Mint Launches Glow-In-The-Dark Rocketship For Young Collectors

Gift-givers have a new option for budding young collectors with the United States Mint's release today of the 2019 Rocketship. Included in this new collectible are two coins attached to a card... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Star notes up and down from auction to auction

By Bill Brandimore I thought I’d start my column with an interesting quote. I am preparing an exhibit of (gasp) coins for the Michigan State show in April. It will be on large cents, so the quote is from The Cent Book, 1816-1839 . The author, John D. Wright, is describing terms in a glossary. For Uncirculated, he says “A term in long use for ‘new’ or as made. The preferable term is ‘Mint State’ (MS), as it is backwards to describe something by what it is not. Even more ludicrous is the term ‘About Uncirculated’ (AU), which tries to describe the condition of a coin as what it is almost not.” I guess I’ll just stick to numbers. One of my favorite shows is coming up this month. The Professional Currency Dealers Society show will take place March 14-16 at the Hilton Hotel in Rosemont, Ill., and will feature a Lyn Knight auction. What is great about this show is that it is all paper. The dealers come from around the United States and a few foreign nations as well. World currency is well

Above Ground Silver Inventories Are Diminishing

//www.pearltrees.com/americansilvereaglecoin?embed=2&d=2019022890 Americansilvereaglecoin What is Happening to #Platinum ? https://t.co/sHP9K85RJs — Gold Eagle Price (@goldeagleprice) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js What You Need to Know About #Silver Supply and Premiums https://t.co/k8jWfC2jxG — Gold Eagle Price (@goldeagleprice) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Undeniable Truths about #PreciousMetals (Don’t Forget These…) https://t.co/xZWfyuhoRF — Gold Eagle Price (@goldeagleprice) February 28, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js from Precious Metals News from Gold Eagle Price – Price of Silver Oz

Heritage sells rare off-metal gold patterns

There is just one word to describe the results of Heritage’s NYINC world coins sale. That word is, “Wow!” The total realized for the Jan. 6-7 rostrum auction was $15,280,183. Of that, over $8,000,000 was achieved at the Jan.7 Platinum Night. All told, 15 items took in excess of $100,000. A further 258 managed between $10,000 and $99,999. Top-selling lot from Heritage Auctions’ NYINC world coin sale: Netherlands East Indies proof pattern ducaton of 1728 struck off-metal in gold (KM-71a) that realized a record $336,000 in PR64 NGC. (Images courtesy and © www.ha.com) Top price of $336,000 was achieved by a 42 mm, 40.15 g gold Netherlands East Indies proof pattern ducaton of 1728 struck for Holland (KM-71a, cf. Dav-417, Scholten-31). This is an off-metal strike of the silver rider issue presumably produced as a presentation piece. It had certainly been well looked after for almost 300 years and had no problems in achieving a PR64 NGC grade. As far as Heritage is aware, this price is

US Mint Sales: 2019 Quarters Silver Proof Set and Lowell 3-Coin Set Debut

The United States kicked off sales last week of two collector products -- a 5-coin set of 2019 silver quarters and a 3-coin set of 2019 Lowell National Historical Park quarters. The pair of sets were... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Gold Logs Third Loss; Palladium Drops From Record

Most precious metals futures declined Wednesday, led by 2.8% fall in palladium after the precious metal hit an all-time high on Tuesday. Gold finished lower for a third straight session -- a week... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Purchasing Gold and Silver for Those New to Precious Metal Investing

//www.pearltrees.com/bullionbarsandcoins?embed=2&d=20190227914 Bullionbarsandcoins The Coming #Pension Fund Disaster https://t.co/QoNYA9Oxwe — Bullion Alpha (@bullionalpha) February 27, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js The Benefits of #Investing in #PreciousMetals https://t.co/FOEx94B4Qe — Bullion Alpha (@bullionalpha) February 27, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js The Battle for Venezuela’s #Gold Serves as a Lesson in Counterparty Risk https://t.co/KMbC3YoPb7 — Bullion Alpha (@bullionalpha) February 27, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js from Precious Metals News from Gold Eagle Price – Price of Silver Oz

Historic German gold tops Stack’s sale

When the dust settled at Stack’s Bowers’ NYINC world coin sale, ten of the top twelve items came from Germany or Britain. Six of those ten consisted of historic German gold. Extremely rare gold Nürnberg 8 ducat of 1721-PGN (KM-287; Fr-1904) that sold for $78,000 at Stack’s Bowers’ NYINC sale in January. The date is displayed in the reverse legend as a chronogram readers are invited to solve. (Images courtesy Stack’s Bowers) Top-selling lot by a very long chalk was a magnificent, extremely rare, 27.84 g gold Nürnberg (Nuremberg) 8 ducat of 1721-PGN once owned by Nürnberg specialist Herbert J. Erlanger (KM-287; Fr-1904). The coin was struck with the same dies used for the silver Taler issue (Dav-2476). Charles VI dominates the obverse. On the reverse, a single-headed eagle wearing the crown of Charlemagne and carrying orb and scepter soars over a city, presumably Nürnberg. For readers wanting a challenge, the date is a chronogram woven into the reverse legend. Graded NGC AU55, it h

Gold Inches Lower; Palladium Marks Another Record

Most precious metals gained Tuesday. Palladium added to its streak of record settlements. Gold was alone for the day with its loss. Gold for April delivery shed $1, or less than 0.1%, to settle at... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

What are Precious Metals?

//www.pearltrees.com/preciousmetalspricechart?embed=2&d=20190226913 Preciousmetalspricechart Next #Financial Panic Will Be Big https://t.co/S9TYZ1dfJv — Alex Winter (@alexdwintertx) February 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js #Gold & #Silver Rally Huge as Central #Bankers & Analysts Flub https://t.co/oPFj89g4xs — Alex Winter (@alexdwintertx) February 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js #Gold & #Silver Awaken from Eight-Year Slumber https://t.co/90eZMvGhyI — Alex Winter (@alexdwintertx) February 26, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js from Precious Metals News from Gold Eagle Price – Price of Silver Oz

Zanzibar note tops FUN World Currency sale

Heritage Auctions’ paper money team should be more than content with the results of their Jan. 9-15 FUN World Currency Signature sale in Orlando At hammer fall, the total realized had achieved a most satisfactory $2,042,662, with 32 lots fetching in excess of $10,000. Two major collections contributed to the majority of top prices: The Minot Collection and Yuri Solovey Collection of Canada. Both came jam-packed with high-grade rarities – and one or two of those super-rarities whose grade is nigh irrelevant! Top-selling issued Zanzibar 10 rupees of 1 February 1928 (P-3) that realized $87,000 graded PMG Very Fine 30 at Heritage Auctions’ January FUN sale in Orlando. (Image courtesy and © www.ha.com) When any Zanzibar note is offered in any world paper sale, it can be expected to top the bill. Such was the case in Orlando when the Minot Collection supplied an issued 10 rupees dated 1 February 1928 (P-3). It was a lovely example graded PMG Very Fine 30 and lacking the rust spots and s

PMG Certifies Extremely Rare 1920 Home of Bank of Canada $5 Note

Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG) has certified the second-known example of the 1920-dated Home Bank of Canada $5. The issue was previously thought to be unique, with the only example being in the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

CNG’s Triton XXII realizes $10.5 million

Masterwork: Kimon’s rendering of the nymph Arethousa dominates this Sicilian silver tetradrachm of the Second Democracy c. 406-405 BCE. The quality of this piece caused the CNG cataloger to wax poetic: “The composition’s beautiful three-dimensional perspective is augmented by a fluid style that effectively conveys the natural motion of the nymph’s hair in her liquid environment. [That] environment is further emphasized by the placement of the dolphins, who weave themselves within her hair in a playful manner. The serenity of Arethousa’s countenance, with her full, pouting lips and other-worldly gaze from her almond-shaped eyes, conveys a sense of her place aloof from the realm of man.” In EF the coin romped away to take $270,000. (Images courtesy CNG) In late January, the Classical Numismatic Group announced that their annual Triton sale had realized $10,482,153 on pre-sale total estimates of $7,831,550. The catalog featured 1,456 lots of Greek, Celtic, Oriental Greek, Central Asian

Weekly World Numismatic News for February 24, 2019

The delay in reporting the weekly world numismatic news was because I worked at my first Comic Convention or Comic-Con. It was a small Comic-Con with between 60 and 80 vendors around a large hotel ballroom. Of course, each table had comics but others had different items related to the comics, science fiction, horror, pulp […]

Canada leads Stack’s Bowers at NYINC

High-grade Canadian notes took first, second, and third top prices at Stack’s Bowers’ NYINC World Paper Money Sale in early January. A young George V features on the top-selling Government of Newfoundland 1920 1 dollar (NF-12d) from Stack’s Bowers’ NYINC sale in January. The note took $26,400 in fabulous PCGS Gem New 66 PPQ condition. (Image courtesy Stack’s Bowers) Top dollar was paid for the finest-known Government of Newfoundland 1 dollar of 1920 (NF-12d). That year, the surging world price of silver saw the British colony experience a major shortage of silver coin. The government plugged the gap by issue of a short-lived series of $1 and $2 Newfoundland Treasury Notes. Come 1939, some 99% of these had been redeemed and destroyed. They are scarce items today. Those in grades above VF are rare. That on offer came in a wonderful PCGS Gem New 66 PPQ, which pushed the price tag to $26,400, or over 20 times the current Standard Catalog of World Paper Money valuation. Dominion of C

Gold Slips For Second Session, Palladium Hits New Record

Palladium scored yet another record settlement Monday. Platinum also gained on the day. Silver and gold, however, moved lower for a second straight session. Gold for April delivery declined $3.30,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

NGC Certifies Rare 1943 Copper Cent Found in Gumball Machine

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC)  has certified a 1943 Copper Cent that was found in a gumball machine decades ago. The 1943 Copper Cent is generally regarded as the most famous of all... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Community Voice Responses (March 12, 2019)

From the Feb. 15 Numismatic News E-Newsletter: How important is coinage design in your collecting decisions? Here are some answers sent in from our e-newsletter readers.   Coinage design is the most important component of a coin. That’s why, for the last 10 years, most of my coin purchases have been world coins! I still buy American coinage, but the U.S. is way behind in terms of interesting/artistic coin designs. Ernesto North Hollywood, Calif.   Even if a coin is rare, without eye appeal it would be a hard sell. Junk coins have eye appeal and user feel; well, at least for myself. It is the history behind the coins I find most appealing, and I try to impart that to young collector would-be numismatists. Wesley Ellis Portland, Ore.   Design is the number one reason why I would buy a coin. Since I’m not a set builder, I buy coins which of course in my subjected opinion have beautiful depictions. These included coins made in all eras, even some modern issues. Who doesn’t appr